Development of a novel difficulty scoring system for laparoscopic liver resection procedure in patients with intrahepatic duct stones

BACKGROUND For intrahepatic duct(IHD)stones,laparoscopic liver resection(LLR)is currently a reliable treatment.However,the current LLR difficulty scoring system(DSS)is only available for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.AIM To explore the development of a DSS for IHD stone patients with LLR and the validation of its reliability.METHODS We used clinical data from 80 patients who received LLR for IHD stones.Forty-six of these patients were used in multiple linear regression to construct a scoring system.Another 34 patients from different centers were used as external validation.The completeness of our DSS was then evaluated in patients with varying degrees of surgical difficulty based on documented surgical outcomes in the study group of patients.RESULTS The following five predictors were ultimately included and scored by calculating the weighted contribution of each factor to the prediction of operative time in the training cohort:Location of stones,number of stones≥3,stones located in the bile ducts of several grades,previous biliary surgery less than twice,distal bile duct atrophy.Subsequently,the data set was validated using a DSS developed from the variables.The following variables were identified as statistically significant in external validation:Operative time,blood loss,intraoperative transfusion,postoperative alanine aminotransferase,and Clavien-Dindo grading≥3.These variables demonstrated statistically significant differences in patients with three or more grades.CONCLUSION Patients with IHD stones have varying degrees of surgical difficulty,and the newly developed DSS can be validated with external data to effectively predict risks and complications after LLR surgery.

Removal of intrahepatic bile duct stone could reduce the risk of cholangiocarcinoma: A single-center retrospective study in South Korea

BACKGROUND Intrahepatic duct(IHD)stones are among the most important risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma(CCC).Approximately 10%of patients with IHD stones develop CCC;however,there are limited studies regarding the effect of IHD stone removal on CCC development.AIM To investigate the association between IHD stone removal and CCC development.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 397 patients with IHD stones at a tertiary referral center between January 2011 and December 2020.RESULTS CCC occurred in 36 of the 397 enrolled patients.In univariate analysis,chronic hepatitis B infection(11.1%vs 3.0%,P=0.03),carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9,176.00 vs 11.96 II/mL,P=0.010),stone located in left or both lobes(86.1%vs 70.1%,P=0.042),focal atrophy(52.8%vs 26.9%,P=0.001),duct stricture(47.2%vs 24.9%,P=0.004),and removal status of IHD stone(33.3%vs 63.2%,P<0.001)were significantly different between IHD stone patients with and without CCC.In the multivariate analysis,CA19-9>upper normal limit,carcinoembryonic antigen>upper normal limit,stones located in the left or both lobes,focal atrophy,and complete removal of IHD stones without recurrence were independent factors influencing CCC development.However,the type of removal method was not associated with CCC risk.CONCLUSION Complete removal of IHD stones without recurrence could reduce CCC risk.

Postoperative jaundice related to UGT1A1 and ABCB11 gene mutations:A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND Patients with obstructive jaundice caused by intrahepatic bile duct stones can be effectively managed by surgery.However,some patients may develop postope-rative complications,liver failure,and other life-threatening situations.Here,we report a patient with mutations in the uridine 5’-diphospho-glucuronosyltrans-ferase 1A1(UGT1A1)and bile salt export pump(adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette subfamily B member 11,ABCB11)genes who presented multiple intrahe-patic bile duct stones and cholestasis,and the jaundice of the patient increased after partial hepatectomy.CASE SUMMARY A 52-year-old male patient admitted to the hospital on October 23,2021,with a progressive exacerbation of jaundice,was found to have multiple intrahepatic bile duct stones with the diagnoses of obstructive jaundice and acute cholecystitis.Subsequently,the patient underwent left hepatectomy with biliary exploration,stone extraction,T-tube drainage,and cholecystectomy without developing any intraoperative complications.The patient had a dark urine color with worsening jaundice postoperatively and did not respond well to plasma exchange and other symptomatic and supportive treatments.Since the progressive increase in postoperative bilirubin could not be clinically explained with any potential reason,including,if not at all,viral infection,cholangitis,autoimmune liver disease,and other causes,the patient underwent whole-exon screening for any genetic diseases,which surprisingly identified UGT1A1 and ABCB11 gene mutations related to glucuronidation of indirect bilirubin as well as bile acid transport in hepatocytes,respectively.Thus,we hypothesized that postoperative refractory cholestasis might result from UGT1A1 and ABCB11 gene mutations and further recommended liver transplantation to the patient,who eventually declined it and died from liver failure six months later.CONCLUSION Surgery may aggravate cholestasis in patients with multiple intrahepatic bile duct stones and cholestasis associated with UGT1A1 and ABCB11 gene mutations.A liver transplant may be the best option if active medical treatment fails.

Polysplenia syndrome with preduodenal portal vein detected in adults

Polysplenia syndrome, defined as the presence of multiple spleens of almost equal volume, is a rare condition involving congenital anomalies in multiple organ systems. We report this anomaly in a 41-year-old female who underwent a left lateral sectionectomy due to recurrent cholangitis and impacted left lateral duct stones. Polysplenia syndrome with preduodenal vein was diagnosed preoperatively by computed to-mography (CT) and surgery was done safely. Although the polysplenia syndrome with preduodenal portal vein (PDPV) in adult is rarely encountered, surgeons need to understand the course of the portal vein and exercise caution in approaching the biliary tract.

Correlation between Expression Differences of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Cholangiocarcinoma Tissue

Background: By studying the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition regulators in cholangiocarcinoma and intrahepatic duct stones, the correlation between the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition regulators and cholangiocarcinoma was revealed. Objective: The objective is to investigate the correlation between the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EC) regulatory factors and cholangiocarcinoma in patients with intrahepatic duct stones and cholangiocarcinoma, to investigate the relationship between clinicopathological features and prognosis, and to observe the expression of molecular markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in intrahepatic duct stones and bile duct carcinoma. Methods: Twenty cases of primary cholangiocarcinoma, 20 cases of intrahepatic cholangiolithiasis complicated with cholangiocarcinoma, and 20 cases of intrahepatic cholangiolithiasis specimens were collected from the Fourth People’s Hospital and the friendly medical unit of Haikou. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression differences of EMT-related molecular markers Twisit1, Twisit2, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin in paraffin sections of normal intrahepatic bile duct tissues and patients with intrahepatic duct stones and cholangiocarcinoma. Results: Immunohistochemical staining revealed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma tissue, intrahepatic cholangiolithiasis with cholangiocarcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiolithiasis with normal intrahepatic cholangiolithiasis, such as Sit1, Twisit2, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin proteins were different. The expression of E-cadherin was decreased in cholangiocarcinoma tissue and intrahepatic cholangiolithiocarcinoma combined with cholangiocarcinoma (P < 0.05), while the expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin was up-regulated (P < 0.05). The expression of Twisit1 and Twisit2 had no difference (P > 0.05). There was no difference in the expression of intrahepatic bile duct stones and EMT (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The expression of E-cadherin, the molecular marker of EMT, was down-regulated, while the expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin was up-regulated. Age, gender, depth of tumor invasion, degree of tumor differentiation and lymph node metastasis were correlated with the expression of EMT in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.